


Meeting the Montilyets

by aviantyro



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Post-Trespasser
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-26
Updated: 2015-02-11
Packaged: 2018-03-02 07:50:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2805008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aviantyro/pseuds/aviantyro
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After dealing with the Thedosian apocalypse, the Inquisitor decides to take a leave of absence. Obviously, the best way to do this would be to meet the family who set up an arranged marriage with her significant other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Welcome to the Family!

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is my first work on this site! I hope you all like it, and any critiquing would be appreciated.

It was late spring, and Antiva was in bloom. Merchant hawked their wares, holding up fruits, flowers, and bolts of silk. Most people on the streets were shopping, but a travelling pair on horseback paid them little heed.

"Darling, you look ridiculous."

Compared to the flowing dresses and smart waistcoats worn by the people around them, the plain, brown cloak concealing Inquisitor Asranda Adaar’s face certainly wasn’t the most fetching outfit in Antiva City. Not that was it meant to. Function over form and all that.

"It was this, or go through what happens every time we go someplace I’ve never been. Pitchforks and torches, followed by everyone bowing and pleading for forgiveness. I find it easier to skip all that, Josie, don’t you?"

Their horse snorted in agreement. Josephine merely huffed, muttering about keeping up appearances and how you could see her horns through the thin cloth anyways.

"Not to mention Cullen would have attached an entire battalion to us given a chance. I think your parents will appreciate the discretion." The glint of the sun shone on her lips as she turned to speak.

"Oh, I’m sure Leliana has people watching out every move, either way." Josephine said. "I swear, she’s more of a worrier than I am."

"I’m not entirely sure that’s possible." Adaar smirked. "And your country is famous for being infested with assassins."  
As they turned a corner, a woman held out a basket of flowers, speaking so quickly Adaar could barely keep up.

On a whim, she picked up an orange lily and handed the over a few coppers in exchange. The merchant caught sight of her scarred, gray skin and smiled sheepishly before scurrying off, apparently deciding she would find better business elsewhere.

Adaar turned and tucked the flower into Josephine’s hair. “There, now you’re pretty enough for the both of us.” Josephine blushed and laughed. “Flatterer.”

An hour passed, full of idle chat and the bustling white noise of the city. The scent of the sea became stronger, and the city’s canals began to converge. The Montilyet estate had to be close. Josephine noticed that the closer they came to their destination, the straighter Asranda seemed to sit. She laced her hands around the taller woman’s shoulders and said. “Love, you have nothing to worry about. My parents will adore you. If how you talk to Yvette is any indication, you are practically family.”

Asranda pressed her cheek into Josephines hand. “Your sister is an impressionable young woman. Your _parents_ are an Antivan noble couple whom I have never so much as exchanged a letter with. I think they might react differently to the fact that their eldest daughter and heir is in a relationship with an enormous horned woman.”

"Not to mention I did cause the breaking off of your engagement. An engagement that _they_ orchestrated. They might be somewhat irritated with me.” She said.

"You also saved all of Thedas several times over, got our family trading status reinstated in Orlais, and were influential in the selection of the Divine." Josephine said, counting the feats on her fingers. "And most importantly, I love you." Her hand cupped Asranda’s cheek. "I believe they will be able to look past your flaws."

With that, they had finally arrived. The estate was a large villa that sat facing the sea, surrounded by a private harbor and elaborate gardens. To a Vashoth who grew up in a ramshackle village in Rivain, it looked like something out of a story book.

A young man quickly sidled up to them and lead their horse to the stables. Another servant came and bowed to them both, and the hood finally came off. The servant’s eyes widened before rushing off to notify Josephine’s family of their arrival.

They walked through a large pavilion, dotted with sculptures and exotic plants that shone will colors Asranda had never even seen before.

"What was that you said when we began that House of Repose business? Something about your family being on the brink of destitution?" That earned her a light slap on the arm. For all of her teasing, compared to the grounds the villa was rather modest. It was made of simple brick, with plain windows, and such simple architecture that would have gotten you laughed out of Val Royeaux. The large doors that led into the courtyard opened, and a woman who looked astonishingly like her ambassador stepped out.

“ _Mia bella bambina!_ ” She quickly swept Josephine into a hug, and Asranda could finally pick out the differences between the two. The family matriarch’s hair was streaked in grey, and done into a smart bun. Rather than Josephine’s more utilitarian skirt, she wore an emerald dress that almost dragged behind her.

The two exchanged kisses and a quick word, before they both turned to regard her.

"My love, allow me to introduce my mother, Angioletta Montilyet. Mother, this is Inquisitor Asranda Adaar."

Asranda was quite used to being scrutinized by nobles from her time as leader of a multinational organization, but she never felt a gaze quite like the elder Lady Montilyet’s. The nearest comparison was the viciously inquisitive gaze that Cassanda leveled at her after the Conclave. Josephine’s gaze flicked nervously between the two women.

After a moment, however, her face broke into a warm smile that crinkled the creases around her eyes. "A pleasure. Josephine talks about you often in her letters. Usually to the exclusion of all else, in fact." She said, offering her hand.

" _Mother!_ "

"You appear to have me at a disadvantage, then, Lady Montilyet. Josephine is rather quiet about her home life." Asranda planted her lips on Angioletta's hand.

She swung around, putting a hand over her chest in mock astonishment. "Are you that embarrassed of us, Josephine? Why, wait until the others hear of this. Verigilio! Yvette! Claudio! Durante! Josephine is home!"

"Maker preserve me..." Josephine muttered. A few moments later Yvette Montilyet came rushing out the door. "Josie! You finally came!"

"Of course I did, Yvette. Asranda insisted we come so that you can tell her more embarrassing moments from my childhood." She replied sardonically, but hugged her all the same. "I also promised to attend your salon, did I not? My word is my bond."

Yvette turns to Asranda, pulling her into another embrace. "Inquisitor, it is so wonderful to see you again! I hope you come to my salon as well, you will make it the talk of the city for weeks!" Asranda glances at Josephine, who rolls her eyes in return. "Why not? It will be a good way to get to know the family."

A pair of men also came out into the courtyard and for a moment, Asranda thinks she is seeing double. Claudio and Durante Montilyet were identical twins, apparently with an odd sense of fashion. Claudio was cloaked in a doublet covered in feathers, whereas Durante's was fashioned from what looked like fish scales. The two shared a mischievous glance before charging down the walkway. Before anyone could react, Josephine was on top of their shoulders.

"So, sister, back from your harrowing experience fighting darkspawn magisters?" Durante said with a wry grin. "Well, filing the paperwork to do it anyways."

Josephine fumed from her newly-found perch. "You two **know** I hate it when you do that!"

Claudio patted her leg in mock-sympathy. "Oh, we know. Why do you think we do it?" The two turned to Asranda, bowing, and almost dropping their sister in the process. "Pardon our manners, Your Worship. Claudio and Durante Montilyet. Pleased to meet you."

Asranda tried to hide her amusement at Josephine's expense. She failed. Miserably. "You never get so flustered when  _I_ sweep you off your feet." Claudio and Durante  _ooo'_ d and Yvette giggled. Angioletta merely shook her head and smiled. Josephine attempted to salvage what dignity she had left. "Yes, well,  _you_ are a beautiful woman, while these two are my idiotic, pig-headed, brothers!" She punctuated each insult with a punch to the shoulder. Unfortunately for her composure, all this earned her was more teasing.

This was stopped by the quick clapping of Angioletta's hands. "Alright, you three, you've had your fun. Now where is your father?" Claudio and Durante shrugged in response, letting their sister down. Yvette said "I saw him going into his workshop, but that was hours ago." 

Angioletta sighed and shook her head. "That man has his head in the clouds." She walked up to the door and yelled. "VERGILIO! YOUR DAUGHTER IS HOME!"

Vergilio Montilyet poked his head out of a third story window. His bearded face was lined with wrinkles and laugh-lines, his hair a dark grey. "I THOUGHT SHE WAS  _OUR_ DAUGHTER, _IL MIO AMORE_? NEVER MIND, I SHALL BE DOWN IN A MOMENT." Poking back in, he could be heard thumping down the stairs, accompanied by a shattering noise and what sounded like swears in Antivan. "Holy Andraste, I cannot believe I married this man."

Moments later, a smock-cloaked Vergilio Montilyet walked out the door. Like the others, he rushed to greet his eldest daughter, pausing in a futile attempt to wipe the paint from his clothes. "Josephine, it is good to see you. Maker's breath, _mia figlia_ , have you gotten taller!?" Josephine smiled. "Papa, we both know I stopped growing when I turned seventeen. And the joke got old by the following month."

Turning to Asranda, he knelt and brushed his lips across her hand. "Your Eminence, it is a pleasure to have you at our simple home. I hope you will pardon my lateness, I was working on my next artistic commission." 

Asranda smiled at Josephine. "Well, I can see where you got your charm from, Ms. Montilyet." Angioletta ushered the two into the house. "Please do not feed his ego, Your Worship. He is already insufferable."

They ascended a long, sweeping staircase towards the family quarters "You will be sharing Josephine's old room."

The diplomat's face took on a look of horror that Asranda had never seen. "Wait,  _my_ room?! Mother, please, let us use one of the guest rooms, they are far more spacious-"

Her mother was hearing none of it. "Nonsense, your bags are already there, and wouldn't it be nice to show the Inquisitor where you grew up?" Angiolette aquired an almost predatory look in her eye that reminded her of Josephine playing cards. Which did not bode well. 

Before Josephine could further protest, they had arrived. "Now, you two get settled in, and we will call you for supper when it is ready." She took off faster than most would expect a woman of her age. Another poor sign

"So, what's wrong with your room?" Josephine brought a hand up to her forehead. "You recall that I left Antiva to go to finishing school in Orlais when I was fifteen? I also mentioned I was a bit...sheltered. I haven't touched the room since."

"Oh come on, it can't be that ba-" 

The room was covered in everything frilly and pink that Asranda could imagine. Doilies, curtains, carpets, all made of the most garish pink silk or wool, trimmed with white. The bed was no better, and was covered in all manner of stuffed toys. Her bookshelf looked like it contained every bleeding-heart love-story in all of Thedas. 

"You know what, love? I think I'm going to like it here." Josephine groaned. It was going to be a long week.


	2. A Family Meal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that introductions have been made, the Inquisitor must maintain good table manners.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! I have gotten a writing journal so I should be pumping out chapters and new stories far faster! Thanks to disdainfulavenger for helpful suggestions!

Asranda wasn't sure she had ever seen Josephine as angry as she was now. Which was, admittedly, not saying much, considering she had the patience of a saint. But this was new. 

"I cannot believe she would do this!"

Josephine threw up her hands, slippers clicking as they paced across the floor. "This is embarrassing! Infuriating! She could have at least removed all of my...paraphernalia!" 

A tiny pink bootie poked out from under the bed where she insisted they stuff the dolls, stubbornly refusing to remain hidden. 

"Dear, somehow I doubt she meant this as a political slight. It seems more like a family joke." Asranda flopped onto the bed, it's frame creaking in protest. "A larger bed would have been nice, though."

"But-" Josephine sighed, her fingers sliding over the bridge of her nose. "Oh, Maker, I have been in Orlais for far too long. The Game has ruined my sense of humor."

Asranda grasped her other hand, leading her gently down towards the bed. "Oh, I don't know about that. You still laugh at my jokes."

A sly grin inched it's way across the diplomat's face. "If anything, that is the final nail in the coffin." Their faces now drifted inches above one another's. 

"If you will permit it, my lady, I would like to dash your sensibilities just a bit further. Just enough to wet your appetite."

Josephine leaned in. "I don't see why no-"

A ringing outside their door served to shatter any sense of intimacy. 

" _Vashedan."_ Asranda flopped onto the bed. So much for small miracles.

Josephine giggled, smoothing the creases in her dress. "Another time, then, darling."

* * *

 As the two made their way downstairs, the warmth of the chambers gave way to the relative cool of the foyer. A serving girl, dressed in the house colors of the Montilyets, was waiting for them. "If My Ladies will follow me, the family has already arrived for supper." 

She led them through a set of glass doors, giving way to a long room decorated with paintings of all kinds. Portraits of the family, landscapes of the Antivan countryside, and still lifes depicting everything from ships to flowers all had their place on the dark wooden walls. In the center, covered in magnificent silver decorations, was a table of pale Rialtan juniper. True to the servant's word, the Montilyet family was assembled.

Vergilio sat up, his paint-streaked smock replaced with a silken doublet. "Just in time, you two! The first course should be here at any moment."

The two quickly settled into their seats across from one another.

"So, Inquisitor, now that we have a few moments, why don't you tell us more about yourself?" Angioletta said. "The tales and letters are vivid, but we know so little about you as a person."

She could honestly not think of a worse subject. When it came to herself, the most common reaction seemed to be xenophobic disgust. "What would you like to know?"

Luckily, Vergilio seemed genuine in his questioning. "Well, where are you from? I understand you were once a sellsword in the Free Marches, yes?" 

"That's right." She said. "However, I was born in Rivain. Most Tal-Vashoth are from there, it's closest to Qunari territory." 

Claudio took his turn. "Your Worship, I have heard that word before. Tal-Vashoth. What does it mean?"

Asranda had to restrain herself from sighing. A question that she had answered time and time again, often prompting even more questions. "A Tal-Vashoth is someone who has left the Qunari society."

"I thought a Qunari is what your people were called? How can they live apart from their own race?"

"No, a Qunari follows the Qun, regardless of race. I don't, so I'm not Qunari."

"Ah, so you are Tal-Vashoth?"

Bugger it all. 

"No, but my parents were. I am just Vashoth."

"There is a difference?" Claudio seemed more confused than at the beginning of the conversation. 

"Oh, look, the soup is here!" Angioletta exclaimed. Intrusive questions and awkward conversation evidently did not sit well with her, either.

Their waiter came out and placed a dish on the table, steamy tendrils sneaking out from under it's lid. The smell was intoxicating, braised fish mixing with vegetables and spices that were so many that it was impossible to pick out just one. When the lid came off, it revealed a chunky red stew that still bubbled across the rim. 

" _Zuppa di pesce_! A classic!" Vergilio said, carefully spooning the soup into his bowl. 

If the smell was exemplary, then the taste was divine. "This stuff is magic, and I should know. It taste's like...home." Asranda said, Josephine humming her agreement. 

"If this reminds you of home, Inquisitor, then I believe you will find Antiva to be quite to your liking." Vergilio said. "Fish soup is practically our national dish."

"Mm" Yvette struggled between swallowing her spoonful and speaking what she wanted to. "You Worship, has it been long since you were last in Rivain? I have read stories about it but  _some people_ did allow me to go." A rather pointed look was sent to her elder sister and their mother. 

"I was only seven, maybe eight." Asranda stared off into space, her eyes taking on a glassy sheen. Had it been that long? "Sixteen, perhaps seventeen years. Give or take a few months."

 Claudio visibly blanched. Josephine closed her eyes, already bracing for the fallout. "Josie, I had no idea! Why didn't you tell us you had enraptured a younger woman with your feminine charms?"

But Josephine's patience had worn just a bit too thin. "I was worried I would embarrass you. How long has it been since your brought a nice partner home? Eight months? Ten? You spend so much time polishing your pride, I thought, it would be a shame to tarnish it."

"Brother, I would think it wise to admit defeat."

Durante shrugged. Either his wit was sated, or he decided perhaps his pride  _did_ need a bit more polishing. 

"Alright, now that you are done harassing your sister, I have a few questions of my own." Angioletta said. "What is Skyhold like, darling? It cannot be easy, living so isolated from the rest of the world."

"That is true, but is quickly becoming irrelevant. Merchant, nobles, pilgrims, volunteers. The sheer number of people who flock there ever day makes it feel like the busiest city. And _Mamma,"_ A fire was lit behind her eyes and there did not seem to be anything that could quench it. "The castle is  _beautiful._ My favorite part is the garden near my office. It is filled with healing herbs and beautiful flowers and has a shrine of Andraste that  _shines_  in the morning as Mother Giselle says her prayers. I should hope that you shall all make a visit someday. But you must bundle up! I will have you take no less than three coats and PLENTY of socks! I nearly got frostbite when I first moved in..."

As the evening stretched on they fell into a comfortable pattern of questions and answers as the various foods were carted in for the main course. Asranda was content to nibble and occasionally offer her experiences. Watching Josephine carry on with her family, finally managing to relax after months of nothing but tense meetings, diplomatic incidents, and mountains of paperwork, was all she could have hoped for. Her smiles seemed brighter, her laugher coming more freely. But more was yet to come.

"Well, Josie, as a token of our apologies for our little pranks, we have something you might appreciate."

 Their waiter brought out a plate that supported one of the most beautiful desserts to grace this side of Thedas. It had been so long since she was a home, and Josephine's sweet tooth was itching. She had always found Orlesian pastries to be flavorful, but far too light. Ferelden cakes had almost the opposite problem. Antivan tiramisu, by her account, was the closest thing to heaven on earth that she could dare fathom. And here it was, carted in front of her on a silver platter, cocoa shavings and cherries dotting it's white surface. "Consider yourselves forgiven."

A number of slices later and Josephine did not regret a thing. Her hand traced her distended middle. "Ahhh, perfection."

By now, the sunset was etching it's final mark upon the villa, slivers of light tracing across the brick. Vergilio finally made the decision that the meal had concluded. "I believe it is time for you three to retire."

" _Papa_ , so eager to get rid of us?" Yvette said.

"You all have things that you should be attending to before the day is over. Yvette, your salon is tommorow, so you must pick out a dress. Claudio has to go over this month's inventory shipping to Ferelden, which is a week late, mind you. Finally, Durante must review the new tariffs and talk with the court on trade restrictions with Seheron. Now, off with you."

"Now that we know Her Worship's age, shouldn't she get some mundane chore to work towards while the adults speak?" Durante said.

"Asranda can actually hold her drinks, unlike you three." Josephine quipped. His appetite for pushing his sibling's buttons may be sated, but she had a few years to catch up on. 

He waved it off, feigning a yawn as he walked out of the room.

"Now, what's this about drinks?" 

 As if on cue, a bucket of ice a several bottles is proffered, glasses clinking together. "Join us on the veranda, Inquisitor?"

Minutes later, she is glad that she did. Though the sun does not set over Rialto Bay, it does not lessen the beauty of the scene. The dying sunlight dances over the water, slowly receding at the tide encroaches onto the shore, one force acting upon another. The shimmering mosaic of red, yellows, oranges, and greens rivals the windows of the grandest cathedral. Through the frame of the veranda's pillars, it seemed a work of art.

The sound of popping corks was enough to end her reverie. "Any preferences, Your Worship?" 

"I think that we should finally dispense with the titles, _Lord Vergilio._  Asranda will do." They had quite the selection, but after a few moments, it was easy enough to make her choice. She grabbed a long green bottle, it's label unstained but yellowing. "I think this will suit me just fine"

Handing it to the older man, he appraised her choice carefully. "Nevarran Red, 76 Blessed. Might I ask why?"

"For what Nevarran drinks lack in detail," she said. "They more than make up for in strength."

Josephine smiled into her own glass of Antivan white. Cassandra seldom drank, but always extolled the virtues of her favorite beverage when she did.

"Is it hard getting fineries in Skyhold?" Angioletta stirred her brandy with experienced precision. "Even with all those passing through, surely not all of them care carry fine vintages?"

"During the fight against Corypheus, certainly." Josephine said. "But traders find us a convenient opening into Ferelden markets without going through Amaranthine or all the way to Gwaren." 

A lax atmosphere settled, with the last warm breezes of the day brushed across the balcony. The conversation was less probing, the drinks far more relaxing. Eventually, stories began to be traded, of puffed-up Antivan nobles, the decline of the Crows, and the adventures of the Inquisition.

"And when they came back, Asranda was bedridden for two weeks!" Josephine stumbled through her laughter. "She had to sign treatise with her mouth!" 

Vergilio nearly fell out of his chair, red-faced and roaring. Angioletta was more composed, as always, and hid her scarlet complexion and giggle behind her palm. 

"The Hissing Wastes is  _not_ someplace I would recommend visiting without thick gloves." Despite the strength of the wine, Asranda's size had kept her more than coherent, Josephine merely sipping between tales. 

Angioletta tried to compose herself as best she could. "Well, it is getting late, and I believe it is finally time for your father and I to retire."

"But-" The artist protested.

"No buts! I will not have you hungover and sulking in the corner of Yvette's salon."

"Mother, before you go, I don't suppose you could change our-"

"Already done." A knowing smile flashed across her face.

"Thank you. Goodnight  _Mamma._ "

With a few good-night kisses, the two were off, half-stumbling their way towards their chambers. 

Suddenly, Josephine felt a warm breath on her neck, horns bushing against her bun, and lips on her cheek. "Now?"

"Now." She turned and pressed into the kiss.

Perhaps this  _would_ be good for them.


End file.
